Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein relate to ladder attachment devices, and more particularly to new and improved mechanisms for attaching a ladder to a ladder ridge anchor to secure the ladder over the roof ridge of a building. These embodiments also allow the user to easily adjust the position of the ladder relative to the ladder ridge anchor to facilitate work on and access to the roof or other building areas.
In the performance of their occupation, workers such as painters, carpenters, roofers, firepersons, chimney sweeps, inspectors, handypersons and others are required, at times, to perform their work on inclined roofs. To work on moderate to highly pitched roofs, it is necessary for the person to position some type of support, such as a ladder, or scaffold, on the roof.
When the job is not too extensive, a section of a conventional extension ladder is often employed wherein the ladder is supported in an inclined position on the roof. Securing the ladder to the building to gain access to and work on a roof has traditionally presented problems.
One solution to this problem was illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,114 issued to the Blehm. In the Blehm, a Roof Anchor Ladder Attachment Assembly was disclosed that was connected to the rungs of the ladder via clamps. While the attachment mechanism on the Blehm patent was suitable for the Roof Anchor Ladder Attachment Assembly and its disclosed uses, a different attachment mechanism could be beneficial for specific roof configurations.
Often, roofs have peaks and valleys as a result of multiple roof ridges on a structure. Workers on or near these valleys normally have a need to work the entire valley area. The distance between the bottom of the valley and the roof ridge is quite longer than the distance between the top of the valley and the roof ridge. Appropriately, the distance between the roof ridge and the valley changes linearly along the length of the valley.
It is not practical in these situations to utilize a ladder that is supported by the ground. It is also impractical to use a ladder conventionally attached to a roof anchor device because the ladder would have to be continuously adjusted as one traveled along the length of the valley. This would require removal of clamps, adjustment of the ladder, and reinstallation of the clamps. Use of traditional “roof jacks” is prohibitive for various reasons including damage to the roof structure itself.
Another problem associated with ridge ladder anchors is that they lie flat against the roof surface when in position for use. This presents a problem when there are ridge vents installed along the peak of the roof. Typical ridge ladder anchors could easily damage the ridge vents. Often, there are other attic vents or protuberances on the roof that could also be damaged by a ladder or roof ladder anchor. Thus, there is a necessity for a ladder ridge anchor incorporating means to raise the ladder and ladder anchor device off the surface of the roof while still providing safety and stability.
Other related art has attempted to address both the ladder anchor on different occasions. To overcome the ladder anchor problem, it has been proposed to provide ladders with hooks for engaging the ridge of the roof; such an arrangement is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,606,226 and 4,678,061.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,226 discloses a ridge ladder bracket that is mounted on a roof to provide support for an attached ladder. The ridge bracket disclosed is not adjustable to match the pitch of the roof and the attachment system utilizes a wing nut to fasten the ladder to the ridge bracket. Adjustment of the ladder in relation to the ridge bracket is prohibitive with the means disclosed in this patent. Additionally, there is no lateral stability provided by this ridge bracket and the bracket or attached ladder can easily damage a ridge vent or other protuberance.
A simple ladder roof brace is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,061. This roof brace includes a hook assembly that engages both rungs of a ladder and utilizes a nut and a threaded bolt to affix the ladder to the brace. Adjustment of the ladder in relation to the ridge brace of this patent is prohibitive with the means disclosed. Additionally, there is no lateral stability with use of a single brace. Although this patent discloses use of two braces in one instance, this would not be practical to increase lateral stability and would further add to the time-consuming adjustment problem previously discussed. This brace or an attached ladder can also easily damage a ridge vent or other protuberance.
While these hook assemblies may have been satisfactory for their intended purpose, they have been subject to certain disadvantages, such as being integrally connected to the ladder, thereby rendering the ladder cumbersome when using the ladder on other jobs not requiring the hook assembly; also, many of these configurations are not adjustable for properly engaging ridges of roofs of different pitches. Some of these devices also tend to damage the roofs and thereby render such use prohibitive.
Thus, no related art provides a ladder ridge anchor attachment and stabilizer assembly that can be attached to a ladder and easily adjusted and locked in place. In addition, none also provide access to a roof without causing damage to a roof or ridge vent or other protuberances.
Objects and advantages pertaining to the ladder ridge anchor attachment and stabilizer system disclosed herein will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of embodiments of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.